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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffThe cause of migraine with aura isn't clearly understood. It's believed that the visual aura that may accompany migraine is like an electrical or chemical wave that moves across the part of your brain that processes visual signals (visual cortex). As the wave spreads, it may cause these visual hallucinations.
Many of the same factors that trigger migraine can also trigger migraine with aura, including stress, bright lights, fatigue and changes in sleep patterns.
References
- Bajwa ZH, et al. Pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of migraine in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 6, 2011.
- Headache: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/headache/detail_headache.htm?css=print. Accessed Jan. 6, 2011.
- Pelak VS. Approach to the patient with visual hallucinations. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 6, 2011.
- Ramzan M, et al. Headache, migraine, and stroke. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 6, 2011.
- Bajwa ZH, et al. Acute treatment of migraine in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 6, 2011.
- Hauge AW, et al. Trigger factors in migraine with aura. Cephalalgia. 2010;30:346.
- Bajwa ZH, et al. Preventive treatment of migraine in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 6, 2011.
- FDA approves Botox to treat chronic migraine. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm229782.htm. Accessed Dec. 2, 2010.
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